


cheer them on to their rivals

by orphan_account



Series: Eisner Award for Best Writer and Artist [3]
Category: Captain America
Genre: Drunkenness, Insecurity, M/M, Meeting the ex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-04
Updated: 2013-07-04
Packaged: 2017-12-17 16:50:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/869791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sharon Carter looks like the female version of Steve Rogers. Blond hair, blue eyes and the feeling she could probably take Bucky in a fight if she wanted. Except while Steve personality makes him too nice for a full out brawl, Sharon gives the impression that she doesn't punch Bucky in the face simply because he's not worth breaking a nail. He's not sure if the whole package makes him want to argue with her or cower in fear. He goes with just sticking his chin out, hoping that will get the point across. </p>
<p>"So you're Steve's new thing."</p>
            </blockquote>





	cheer them on to their rivals

Sharon Carter looks like the female version of Steve Rogers. Blond hair, blue eyes and the feeling she could probably take Bucky in a fight if she wanted. Except while Steve personality makes him too nice for a full out brawl, Sharon gives the impression that she doesn't punch Bucky in the face simply because he's not worth breaking a nail. He's not sure if the whole package makes him want to argue with her or cower in fear. He goes with just sticking his chin out, hoping that will get the point across. 

"So you're Steve's new thing."

"You make it sound like Steve has had a lot of old things."

Even with the first few buttons of her shirt undone, she manages to look neat and put together. He barely manages to have decent posture. "Steve has been around," she says carefully, smirking at him from around her gin and tonic. She had called Bucky up out of the blue, invited him to get drinks after she was done at work. Bucky couldn't come up with anything approaching a decent excuse, and didn't really want to.

"Yea I figured that." He tries not to be too sarcastic. This is Steve's ex, the two of them are still good friends. He knows Steve will be disappointed if this doesn't go well. Not to mention she's an editor and could destroy Bucky's life.

Sharon eyes him for a moment. Judging him. "Has he shown you the cuffs yet?" She finally asks.

Bucky carefully turns over his answer in his head for a moment. He knows she's trying to shock him, to put him on guard to make him fuck up. But all she's done is show her own hand and Bucky feels a little bit more like he's on solid ground. "Which pair?" He says instead of giving a straight answer.

She throws her head back and laughs so he thinks he's passed. "Oh good. He really must like you."

Relief wells up in his chest before he even realizes it. He didn't even know her approval meant so much to him, he had wanted to get through this for Steve, hadn't even thought of himself. "I like to think so."

"You know," she says softly, her smile fading. "You're never what I expected for him. With your reputation and everything, you never seemed his type."

He tries to hide his mix of emotions by taking a long swallow of his beer. He loves his reputation, and what it lets him get away with. So many people hear the shit he says and shrug and say well that's just Bucky Barnes. It's never mattered much before but having Steve around changes things. Changes everything and he's only just starting to see that."I promise most of it isn't true." He tries for a smile, but it comes out feeling like a grimace.

"I believe you." Sharon does a better job at pretending to smile then he did. "When Steve and I hooked up, everyone jumped on it as him trying to get a job."

Bucky blinks. He vaguely remembers hearing about them starting to date, but he'd been so focused with his own work and finding his own opportunities he didn't pay much attention to rumors. Some still sneaked onto his radar. Someone who ranks so high in the corporation part of Stark gets talked about as well. Not as much as the writers and artists but there are always rumors. Most of the rumors around Sharon Carter are less then complimentary. He assumed it was from a bunch of straight white guys being bitter about a woman having power about them. "Who would ever believe that about Steve?" He finally says when he realizes she's waiting for him to say something.

"You'd be amazed what people will believe."

Bucky shakes his head, not quite sure if they're talking about Steve still or him. "Not really."

Sharon pauses and seems to be actually thinking about what he's said. "Is anything they say about you true?" She finally asks.

"I do hate people," he volunteers. "With a few exceptions." Like Steve. Though that doesn't need to be said in so many words. "I don't worship the devil though, and I assume I still have a soul."

"As long as you don't abuse him."

"I don't- I won't. Steve is…"

"He's great isn't he," Sharon finishes for him. Her drink is empty and she leans back in her chair. "Buy me round two and I'll even let you ask some personal questions of your own."

Bucky grins and waves over the waiter.

-

Steve rolls onto his back as he hears the bedroom door open and Bucky come stumbling in. He flops onto the bed, his palm digging hard into Steve's stomach, making him grunt in surprise.

"Sorry," Bucky mumbles, making no effort to move, until Steve shoves at him to at least get his legs out from under him. He makes a pitiful whining noise and adjusts himself as quickly as he can to lie parallel with Steve, throwing one arm back over him.

"Sharon drink you under the table?" Steve sighs, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, he's pretty sure Bucky's mouth will taste like the bar's floor and wonders if there's a way to get him to at least eat a mint.

"Maybe. Not really. Jus' tipsy." He nuzzles Steve's neck and makes himself comfortable, tangling their legs together. Steve hopes he's telling the truth because he doesn't want Bucky throwing up on him. His nuzzling grows more purposeful and Steve yelps in surprise when Bucky bites down hard enough to leave behind a mark. "Don' leave me, k?"

"Did you- What is this about?" He twists around as much as Bucky's death grip allows so he can look him in the eye.

Bucky looks embarrassed and nervous and a million other things that even he can't sort through properly. It's almost endearing. "She likes you a lot and she's pretty and she's a woman. I know people expect me to do shit like blatantly be gay in a gross hyper masculine industry like the comics industry, especially now that we're working at Stark with all their big beefcakes." Steve sighs, Bucky must be drunk if he's starting to get philosophical. "And you- you're Steve Rogers! Mister fucking perfect, blonde and gorgeous and you could be be one of the fucking beefcakes." Steve leans forward quickly to kiss the corner of Bucky's lips.

"I'm here. With you. Get some sleep."

Bucky's nose wrinkles up and he looks like he's trying to put the words together to form a proper argument but eventually gives up and sags against Steve. "'M still in my pants." 

Steve can't resist a laugh and slips his hand into Bucky's back pocket, squeezing his ass through the fabric. "Your choice. On or off?"

"Off," Bucky sighs and rolls away to frantically wriggle until they're past his knees and he can kick them away. As soon as they're gone, Steve draws him back to curl against him. Bucky's sigh of content makes him smile. "Promise you'll be here?"

"I'm not running back to Sharon. She'd laugh in my face if I even considered it." He can feel Bucky's pleased smile against his skin and there's a tiny spark of fear that Bucky and Sharon will get along. "Love you, Barnes," he murmurs except Bucky is already asleep, snoring softly against Steve's shoulder. With a resigned sigh that this will have to be a morning conversation, Steve pulls the blankets up, tucking them around them both.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Sixteen Military Wives by the Decembrists


End file.
